Rotation #1: Internal Medicine

My husband has officially finished his first clinical rotation!! Yippee!! During this past month, he was doing his rotation in Internal Medicine, one specialty that he has at the top of his list of interests. I had heard from many people that Internal Medicine could be one of the worst rotations (after Ob/Gyn and Surgery, of course!) because of the hours. I had braced myself for the worst of rarely seeing him and spending some nights alone while he was on call, but it was far from what I was actually expecting!

Most mornings, my hubby had to be there between 6:30 and 7:00. He was expected to be done around 5:00, but oftentimes, he was home between 3:00 and 4:00. He was never on call and never had to stay late. Totally unexpected!! Though he was not required to study for the most part, he did try to spend a little bit each night reviewing different diseases to stay on top of things. Overall, this past four weeks has really been enjoyable. I have had the opportunity to spend time with my family as a whole. The one thing that I have to keep in mind . . . if he does end up choosing IM, then I cannot expect him to spend this much time at home as an intern, resident, or practicing physician. From what I have heard from others as well as from my husband regarding his attending and resident's schedules, he would be spending a LOT more time at the hospital!

Now, from the medical student perspective . . . yes, you could say that I performed a little mini interview on my hubby! :)

1. What was the most difficult aspect of this rotation? Managing 5-10 diseases for a single patient.
2. What was the neatest aspect of this rotation? Being able to follow patients for several days and watch their progress.
3. What was your overall perspective? It was overwhelming for a first rotation for the first two weeks (i.e., trying to read a chart and figure out the computer system on top of everything else), but it got better as a flow was developed.
4. Any additional comments or thoughts? It definitely makes one realize how much you have to learn!

Next Rotation: Obstetrics & Gynecology . . . that should be interesting! :)